Operating mechanism for hoods



Aug- 2.5 1931- E. J. STANLEY E'r AL OPERATING vMECIIAIIISIV FOR HOODS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 11. 1930 VIII 1 p5. J. STANLEY ET AL 1,820,506

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR HOODS Filed March i1. 1930 l 2 sheets-sheet 2 Aug. 25, 1931.

Paten-red Aug. 2s, 1931 UNITED sTATEsPATENT OFFICE ERNEST lIl'. STANLEY, OF LOS lN'IIEI'I'OIS, AND CLAUDE H. TAYLOR, 0F LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA; SAID TAYLOR ASSIGNOR T SAID STANLEY oPEnArING MECH-Amen ron, noons Application led March` 11, l1930. Serial No. 485,005.

This invention relates to masks or hoods such as are worn by electro-welding operators for protecting the face and eyes, the mask being provided with a sight aperture through \which the operator observes the work, and thesight aperture having an overlying shield or dark `glass for protecting the eyes, with the shield normally closed but yadapted to be opened when unobstructed vision is desired.

t is the object of the invention to provide for opening the protectingshield of the sight aperture without use of the hands, thereby leaving both of the operators hands free for manipulating the welding ap aratus.

More particularly itis an olli vention to provide an operating mechanism for the protecting shield extending to a point readily accessible to some part of the anatomy of the operator other than his hands, and

y adapted for engagement by said part of the anatomy for opening and closing the protecting shield. A

It is a still further object of the inventionv to arrange the operating mechanism for the '5 protecting shield inside the mask or hood so that it may be engaged and actuated by move-' ment of some part of the operators head, and preferably to actuate the operating ymechanism by opening and closing the lower ja'w.

y It is a still further object of the invention to provide operating mechanism of extremely simple` and practical construction and ocoupying but little space so that` it may be readily positioned inside the hood, and ini cluding an actuating lever forming a seat for reception of the chin so that movement of the lower jaw will `open and close the protecting shield. p

' It is a still further object of the invention y to provide the operating mechanism 'with 'means for releasably holding it in position with the protecting shield either opened or closed, and to preferably adapt the operatingmechanism for incorporation in a hood struc- 5 ture of novel design, or use as an attachment for a usual hood.

Further objects of the invention will be readily understood from the following de.`

' scription of the j accompanying drawings in D which:

ject of the in IFig. 1 is a rear elevation of aD hood con,-`

structed in accordance with the invention. 'l l Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 21e-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of a type of hood now in use, and showing the improved operating mechanism as an attachment therefor.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the hood'and voperating mechanism which is shown in Fig. 3.

The mask or hood is of a type generally used by electro-welding operators, and com-.-

prises 'a vertically elongated and cross-sectionally substantlally semicircular hood 1 of a suitable stilf material adapted to extend around the front of the users head and held in place by a suitable head-engaging frame.

The head-frame preferably comprises a sti' forehead engagingA element 2 rigidly fixed to the inside of the hood, as for example by arms 3, and adapted to -appreciably space the hood from the face of the user as shown in Fig.- 2, and having a flexible brow band 4 connected to the arms 3' with a flexible band 5 extending over` the top of the head and connected at its 'respective ends to the hood and to the rear of the brow band. The brow band 4 and the head band 5 are preferably adjustable so as to readily fit the supporting frame to the head of the user, and for this purpose the ends of the brow band slidably overlap land the head band' adj ustably overlies the overlapping ends of the brow band as shown in Fig. l, with the bands heldin relatively adjusted position by any usual fastening meanssuch asis shown at 6. A usual flexible l apron 47 for protecting the neck preferably `depends-'from the hood 1.

A vsight aperture' 8 is formed .in hood 1 in alinement with the eye, and a shield 9 per.-

mitting vision but of dark glass for protecting the eyes normally closes the sight aperture, but is adapted to be opened'wh'en unobstructed vision is desired.

In the form of the inventionv illustrated in Figs. l andg2 the protecting shield is slidable in a guide frame lmounted on the inside of the front of the hood which is Ipreferably flat asshown at 11'. The guide frame surrounds sight aperture 8 14 at the open lower end of the frame. f

'movement it overlies the sight aperture 8 held in place by usual which is fixed medially of lVhen the shield 9 is at its upper limit of and when moved downwardly in guide 10 it uncovers the sight aperture as shown in brokenlines in Fig. 2; and in order to still protect the eyes when4 the shield 9 lis opened, an auxiliary lens which is fof clear glasspreferably overlies the sight aperture 8 in rear of the sliding shield 9. The glass 15 may be mounted in an -auxiliary guide frame 16 which is formed on the back of frame 10, the frame 16 being suitablychanneled for reception of glass 15 which is preferably inserted through the open lower end of the frame, with the glass preferably removably spring clips 17. i The shield 9 is opened and closed by an operating mechanism which is accessible to some part of the anatomy of the operator other than his hands, in order that the hands may be left free for work; and in the present instance the operating mechanism is arranged inside the hood 1 and is adapted for engagement by the operators chin so that the protecting shield'may be opened and closed by opening and closing the lower jaw.

As an instance of this arrangement a rod 20 is fixed to the frame 12 of the protecting shield and depends from guide frame 10 inside the hood with a lever `21 which is fulcrumed in the hood connected to rod 20 and provided with a seat 22 adapted for engagement by the operators chin for swinging the lever.A AThe lever is preferably bowed, and may be fulcrumed on a supporting frame its ends to the in-y side of hood 1 proximate to its lower end, with arms 23 of the frame extending rearwardly in transversely spaced relation and pivotally supporting the ends of the bowed lever as shown at 25.y Thechin engaging seat 22 is fixed to the swinging end of the bowed lever,

and a rigid extension of the lever projects forwardly from the seat 22 as shown at 24 and is pivoted to the rod 20 as shown at 26.

The seat 22 has a depending and rearwardly projecting apron 27 adapted to extend under theoperators chin and at its upper end has a rearwardly and upwardly inclined abutment 28 which fits over the top of the chin so that when the lower jaw is closed the chin by engaging abutment 28 swings lever 21 upwardly so as to close the shield 9, and

, frame 12"i when the lower jaw is opened the chin engages apron 27 for swinging the leverso as to open the protecting shield. The operating connecting is adapted for adjustment to fit the seat 22 to the chin of the user, and for this purpose the rod20 may be provided with usual means, shown as an adjusting-nut 29, for adjusting the length of the rod.

Means are provided for releasably holding the operating connection in shifted position for either opening or closing the protecting shield, and for this purpose a spring 30 is adapted for shifting of its axis from one side a to the 'other of pivotal connections 25 so as to yieldably retain the lever 21 in either elevated or depressed position. As an instance of this arrangement one of the bowed ends of lever. 21 may be extended rearwardly beyond its pivot as shown at 31, with spring connected at its respective ends to the extension 31 and to the proximate arm of supporting frame 23. The extension 31 is curved as shown in Fig. 2 so that when lever 21 is swinging forwardly the axis of the spring is below pivotalconnection 25 and will thus yieldably hold the lever against ,depression in order to retain the protecting shield 9 in its closed position, and when the lever is depressed against the yielding tension of its spring,` the axis 'of the spring is shifted so that it lies above pivotal connection 25 as shown bybroken lines in Fig. 2, thereby yieldably holding the lever in position for opening the protecting shield. l

As thus far described the operating mechanism is particularly adapted for incorporation in aj-hood structure at the time of manufacture, 'but it may also be arranged as an attachment for a hood of standard construction; and in Figs. 3 and 4 we have shown the operating mechanism as an attachment for that type ofhood in -which the. protecting shield for the eyes is mounted in a hinged frame .'which is adapted to be swung upwardly or downwardly for closing or opening the sight aperture.

v The hood l:L and its supporting frame for engaging the h'ead are constructed as previ'- ously described, and a frame 16a is mounted in the sight aperture 8a and projects inside and outside the hood. A clear glass 15a for covering the eyes when the protecting shield is swung open,`is preferably mounted in frame 15a so as to overlie the sight aperture, and a for a protecting 'shield 9a of dark glass, yis mounted at the front of frame 16a so that the shield 9a normally overlies the sight aperture. The frame 12 is'hinged vat its lower edge to the frame 16a as shown at 40, so that frame 12a' may bel swung downwardly and outwardlyfor uncovering the sight aperture; and the frame 12al is normally swung to closed positionby a sprlng 41, and,

is provided with a finger-hold 42. for opening and closing the same.vl

In lorder to swing the frame 12a without using the hands, a chin-actuated operating lever is mounted in hood 1a but is not shown in the drawings since the` construction is similar to that previously set forth, and a rod aL which is reciprocated by the lever as previously described, operatively engages actuating means Which extends outwardly through the hood and is connected to frame l2a for swinging the latter.` I

As an instance of this arrangement a bell crank lever may be pivoted to one side of that portion of frame 162L which extends into the lhood, with operating rod 20a connectedl to one arm of the bell crank lever, and a'link 46 connected to the otherarm of the bell crank lever and. projecting outwardly through the hood for pivotal connection to an arm 47 which depends from frame 12a.

- The arm 47 may be readily attached to frame 12, as for example by'a threaded engagement,

- and extends below theN lower hinged edge of the frame, with the link 46 extending through y a suitable eyelet 48 in the hood 1ab so that swinging the bell crank lever by the reciprocation of rod 20a will open and close the swinging frame 12a. The spring 41 may be used if desired, or it may be removed if the chinengaged operating lever which aotuates rod 20a is provided with spring means such as previously described for yieldably retaining the operating mechanism in position for either closing or opening the swinging frame 1`2.

We have thus provided extremely simple I but practical means for opening and closingthe protecting shield which overlies the sight aperture of a hood for the face, the operating connection being adapted for engagement by lsome part of the anatomy, preferably the chin, so that the protecting shield may be opened and closed without use of the hands, and the operating connection comprising either an attachment for a usual hood or being incorporated in a hood structure at the time of manufacture. I

We claim 1. In combination, a hood for the face having a sight aperture, a transparent protecting shield for the sight aperture adapted to be opened and closed, a rod adapted forreciprocation in the hood for opening and closingthe protecting shield, a lever pivoted in the yhood and operatively connected to the rod, a

seat on the lever adapted for engagement by the chin ofthe user for swinging the lever by opening and closing the lower jaw, and a. spring connected to the lever and adapted for shifting of its axis to one side or the other of the pivotal mounting for the lever for yieldably holding the lever when swung to position for either opening or closing the protecting shield.

2. In combination, a hood for the face havend of the farm so that the transverse portion ofthe lever is adapted for vertical swinging movement, said transverse portion of the le- ,veigfbeing operatively connected to the rod, and a seat on said transverseportion of the leveradapted for engagement by the chin of the luser for swinging the lever by opening and closing the lower jaw. 4

3. In combination, a hood for the face having a sight aperture, a shield adapted for vertical sliding movement relative to the hood for opening or.closing the sight aperture, a`

rod depending from the .shield and adapted for vertical reciprocation in the hood adjacent its front wall, a lever in the hood having a portion extending transversely of the hood adjacent its front wall and terminating at its end in an arm extending rearwardly in j the hood adjacent its side wall, the lever being pivoted r lative to the hood adjacent the rear end of t e arm so that the transverse portion ofthe lever isadapted for vertical swinging movement, said transverse portion of`the lever being operatively connected to the rod,a seat on said transverse portion of l the lever adapted for engagement by the chin of the user for swinging the lever by opening and closing the lower'jaw, and means for .yieldably retaining the lever in position with the protecting shield either opened or closed.

4. In combination, a hood Ifor the face having a sight aperture, a shield adapted for vertical sliding movement relative to the hood for open-ing or closing the sight aperture, av rod depending from the shield and adapted for vertical reciprocation in the hood adja- .A

cent its frnt wall, a-lever in the hood having a portion extending transversely ofthe hood v vadjacent its front wall and terminating at its end in an arm extending rearwardly in the hood .adjacentvits side wall, the lever being pivoted relative to the hood adjacent the rear end of the arm so that the transverse portion `of the lever is adapted for vertical swinging movement, said transverse portion of the lever being operatively connected to the rod,

a seat on said transverse portion of the leverl adapted' for engagement by the chin of the user for swinging/ the lever by opening and closing the lower jaw, anda spring connected to the lever arm and adapted for shifting of its axis to one side or the other of the pivotal mounting yfor the lever arm so as to yieldably hold the lever in position with the protecting shield either opened or closed.

5. In combination, a hood for the face having a sight aperture, a shield for the sight aperture adapted to be opened and closed, means actuated by the chin of the user for opening and closing the shield, said actuating lmeans including a pivoted lever, and a spring adapted for shifting of its axis to one side or the other of the pivotal mounting for the lever so as to yieldably hold the lever in position with the protecting shield either opened or closed. r

In testimony whereof We have aHiXed ou1` signatures.

ERNEST J. STANLEY. CLAUDE H. TAYLOR. 

